Kash Dillon left Corner Canyon High School two years ago as a three-star recruit with 10 sacks in his senior season. Now the 6-foot-5, 252-pound defensive end is being tabbed as a leading candidate to become the University of Utah's top pass rusher in 2026.

Deseret News writer Brandon Judd, in a bold-predictions column published Saturday, named Dillon as half of a "duel for the crown" to claim the title of "Mayor of Sack Lake City," the informal honor given to Utah's season sack leader. His competition: incoming North Texas transfer Ethan Day, who posted 4.5 sacks in 2025.

"Let's instead announce a duel for the crown — between junior Kash Dillon of Corner Canyon High lore and incoming edge rush transfer Ethan Day from North Texas," Judd wrote.

The prediction carries weight. Dillon played all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2025, recording 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks while making three starts. He sacked Colorado quarterback Ryan Staub at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, flashing the kind of burst that made him a standout at Corner Canyon.

Before he wore Utah's No. 93 jersey, Dillon was a Charger. As a senior during the 2023 season, he racked up 35 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. His junior year showed similar volume: 80 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks in 14 games. He committed to Utah on Aug. 12, 2023, the third Corner Canyon player to pledge to the Utes in that recruiting cycle, and was ranked the sixth-best prospect in the state by 247Sports.

The vacancy Dillon is chasing exists because John Henry Daley, who recorded 11.5 sacks in 2025, left for the transfer portal and is projected as a top 2027 NFL Draft pick. Returning edge rusher Lance Holtzclaw (1.5 sacks in 2025) is also in the mix, but Judd's column frames the race as primarily between Dillon and Day.

Dillon enters the competition under a new coaching staff. Morgan Scalley, Utah's former defensive coordinator of 10 seasons, opens his first fall camp as head coach Monday, Aug. 3. Utah's season opener is Thursday, Sept. 3 against Idaho at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Scalley told KSL Sports on July 1 that his philosophy centers on developing young talent. "If you want to make good football players, you help them become elite in the behaviors that make good football players," he said.

The Corner Canyon-to-Utah pipeline keeps flowing.

As we reported July 30, the Chargers open 2026 ranked No. 1 under new head coach Casey Sutera, with current Utah commits Diesel Dart and Jackson West on the roster. Dillon's next chance to add to his sack total comes when the Utes host Idaho on Sept. 3.